Traction attachment for automobiles



- 9 19270 F. FENNEL TRACTOR ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed July so, 1926 INVENTOR MK ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 9,1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT," OFFICE} rmnnmcn FENNEL, or JERSEY crrr, -NEW JERSEY.

- rnacrron arrnonmniw ron aurouomrns.

Application med zul 30,

which may be carried within the vehicle in, a comparatively small space when not-in use and which may be readily aflixed when desired, and Within a short period of time.

Another object of my device is to provide means whereby the traction belt employed therein is constantly subjected-to the neces sary tension which assures a steady. friction pressure against a wheel thereby assuring an,

uninterrupted operation of the device under scripti0n and the accompanying drawings,

- be held in operative or openposition,

through'the traction belt,

all working conditions. I A further object of vide a traction belt having the properties of being rigid in, transverse direction while 'fiexible longitudinally and having a high co-- eflicient of friction so as to assure a secure" grip 'uponthe surface over which the vehicle travels. a

The foregoing and further objects will be -more fully apparent from the following deforming part of this disclosure, andIin which g Figure 1 is a top view, of a left-hand part of my dev1ce,

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof, partially broken away, 1

Figure 3 is a detail view of a spreader, by means of which the collapsible frame may Figure 4 represents an enlarged section Figure 5 illustrates'a detail elevation of a portion of the traction belt, Figure-6 is a longitudinal cross sect on through a prismatic member of my traction belt, I

Figure 7 is a top view and, i Figure '8 is a side levation of a front wheel sled arrangement for 'a vehicle.) 7

Referring to the drawings, numerals 10" and 11 denote the front side members or;

walls, and numerals 12 and 13 the rear side members or walls of the frame of m device,

' which side members or walls are eld together respectively by curved end connections land 15. v

The walls of my device are hinged at the my device is to propartially in; section, v

' 'At theouter faces of the 1926; Serial No. aasvi.

points indicated at 16 and '17, and attached to their hinged joint are plates 18 -ro'vided with slots 19 through which pass olts 2O.

These bolts also pass 'throu h the extensions 21 of yokes 22 having bi rcated ends '23 of the frame walls.

adapted to engage the. inclined upper faces 7 These yokes 22, held in position i 20,]press; down the frame sides, keeping them 1n open or operative position. I I c Near or at the ends of the frames are pro-' vided fixed guide idlers 24 which are shaped to correspond Withtheir contour to a trim;

tion belt indicated at 25. Attached to the I frames above idlers 24 are springholders 26, wh chaccommodate springs 27 passing between guide rolls- 28 and terminating in bearing yokes 29, suspending idlers 30.

The endless traction belt 25 passes over the major upper portion of -the driving 1 wheel of thevehiclefindicated at 31, and between the wheel and the resiliently suspend-f ed idlers 30, and furtherpasses over fixed.

idlers 24'and below the lowermost points of wheel 31. Y I

It will be seen that idlers 30; are disposed" below the axis of the wheel, assuring the and 131 preferably provide hinged connections'32 by means of whichnthe right and left hand wheel frames are connected between thorough engagement of the belt with the Lfra-me walls 1 1 each other and allowing also a rigid attac'hi ment to the chassis of the vehicle.

Referring to Figures 4:, 5 and 6 I have.

shown details of the endless traction belt whichconsists of a chain of c lindrical end members .33, a central cylin rical -.member 34 and prismatic members 35.

In Figure 5 there will be seen intermediate cylindrical members 36 disposed between the prismatic members. All of these members are connected by means-of chain links:37.

Thepri'smatic members 35 are arranged in double rows so as to form a profile indicated in Figure 1'. The valley formed between the rows of members 35 serves as a longitudinal guide in which operates the vehicle wheel 31. The contour of idlers 24 corresponds with the outline of the inner face of the endless belt, which is also guided by these idlers Referring to Figures is and 6,'it will be seen that each chain member consists of a steel frame 38 and a resilient filler 39, which construction gives not only rigidity, but impart's also resilience and increases friction which is highly necessary in this device;

In attaching my device to the wheels of a vehicle, the tire of the wheel is deflated. The frame is arranged about the wheel and the belt is,slipped over the deflated tire. Now the yokes 22 are put in place so that they spread the frame parts to a horizontal position. Then the tire in inflated, thereby stretching the belt. The left and right-hand parts of my device are then connected by means of links 32 (Fig. 1). Now the device is ready for operation. When it is desired to remove the device from the vehicles the tire is deflated, the yokes are removed and the belt is slipped ofi the tire. Now the connections between the left-hand and righthand parts of my device are severed and the frames are removed from underneath the wheels.

In Figures 7 and 8, I illustrated the lefthand front wheel of a vehicle, indicated at 40, provided with a sled attachment 41 which is readily slipped under the axis 42 of the front wheel, the-latter resting upon the gliding face 4:3 of the attachment. The pointed front end 44- of the attachment allows for steering through snow, sand or mud, while preventing the front wheels from sinking .thereinto.

Referring to Figure 2, there are shown two arrows, indicating the manner in which the two ends of the wheel attachment are brought together when the attachment is to be collapsed and carried in the vehicle, when not in use. By disconnecting the resiliently sup: ported idlers 30, the entire frame of my device can be folded very neatly and will require a minimum of space within the vehicle.

Having thus described my invention it claim e 1. A traction attachment for" wheeled vehicles comprising a collapsible frame -adapt: ed to be placed about a wheel of a vehicle, means associated with said frame for keeping it in operative or open position, a plurality of fixed and resiliently suspended idlers held within said frame, an endless belt arranged within the latter and adapted to Leeasae the latter and adapted to pass over a major upper portion and below said wheel, said fixed idlers adapted to guide said belt in longitudinal direction of said wheel, and said Y resiliently suspended idlers adapted to take up the slack of said belt.

3. A traction attachment for wheeled vehicles, comprising a collapsible frame adapt ed to be placed about the wheel of a vehicle, an adjustable spreader engagingsaid frame for keeping it 1n open or operative position, a pair of fixed guide idlers arranged near the ends of sa.id frame, a pair of resiliently suspended idlers supported by it and disposed in near proximity and below the axis of said wheel, an endless traction belt passing over a major portion of said wheel and below the latter and over." said fixed idlers, while said resiliently suspended idlers exert a constant pressure upon said belt.

4. A traction attachment-for wheeled vehicles, comprising a collapsible frame adapt ed to be placed about the wheel of a vehicle and provided with a hinge joint at about its center, an adjustable spreader connectedwith said joint and adapted to keep said frame in spread or operatlve 'osition, a pair offixed guide idlers arrange at the ends of said frame, resiliently suspended idlers disposed near the wheel, sprin holders provided within said frame, rolir guides connecting the walls of said frame, springs held by said spring holders and passing between said roller guides and supporting at their free ends said resilientlysuspended idlers, an endless traction belt disposed within said frame and passing over the major portion of said wheel, .below said resilientl suspended idlers over said fixed idlers an under-said wheel, said resiliently suspended idlers disposed below the axis of said wheel adapted to keep said belt under constanttension.

Signed at New York in the county :of

New York and State of New York.

' rnianaion FENNEL. 

